You can see the major attractions of Ireland on a bus tour but walking tours offer you the opportunity to interact with the people, live among Irish communities and appreciate the rich culture of the people.
During your walking tour holiday, you will come across several historical cites, most in ruins. The traveler will also venture out into the wild mountains, winding rivers and steep rocks that characterize rural Ireland. Read more »
Thinking of going on a holiday to Turkey this year? You could have not possibly made a better choice. This country is fully in demand for the good value it offers on all inclusive holidays, package holidays as well as tailor made tours. Turkish seaside is full of sunshine for the best part of the year, no matter which coastline you choose to holiday; whether it’s the Mediterranean or Aegean side. Except the golden stretch of beaches, turquoise blue lagoons and fantastic scenery of mountain backdrops, both of the coastlines offer unparalleled hospitality and friendliness of the locals. Read more »
Opening Wing in the Carnival of Brazil: Origins & Definition
A carnival parade in Rio Brazil is made up of a series of conventions and criteria, which somehow regulate the amazing show watched by millions of people around the globe. Some of the evaluated criteria include the size of floats, parade timing, and harmony within the samba-school members, which are analyzed by a judging commission. The opening wing or “Comissao de Frente”, to use the original expression in Portuguese, is also one of these criteria examined by the carnival judging panel, to help determine the parade contest winner of each year. To understand why this element became a mandatory element in Brazilian parades, we have to go back at least 150 years in the history of Brazil´s Carnaval. Below we will provide a small summary of the opening wings ´origins, innovations and present characteristics so readers can enjoy the carnival culture in Brazil with more comprehension. Read more »
Cheap Ski Trips: Find the Best Deals this Olympic Year!
The Internet is a great resource for ski trips, especially cheap ski trips. These days you don’t need to know a friend of a ski operator or a cousin who works winters at a ski resort if they know of any deals on cheap ski trips. They can all be found online. These days with the opening of Eastern Europe, there are a lot of inexpensive ski packages, almost like backpacking ski resorts. Read more »
An indispensable accessory on your holiday is a comfortable set of headphones that perform for you. They need to be light and compact, highly adjustable and free of leakage. That is a tall order so you might find it easier to read a few headphone reviews online. There are a lot ofd geeky types willing to share their experiences with buying headphones, to help you save an expensive mistake. By making use of these reviews you can choose the best headhones for your holiday.
I Love Italian Travel – Emilia-Romagna Carnevale Season
Emilia-Romagna is widely considered to be the gastronomic capital of Italy, and you better believe that it has a lot of competition. Its regional capital and largest city is Bologna, which brings a very ungastronomic sausage to mind. The city of Cento, population 35 thousand, is located 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of Bologna. It is home to the historic Cento Carnival of Europe, which runs on five consecutive Sundays attracting over 300,000 people. Since 1993 the Cento Carnival has been twinned with the Rio Carnival. Read more »
Why not take a visit to one of the most romantic cities in the world for a holiday or city break! Climb up the Eiffel Tower, check out some art at the famous Louvre or simply wander the Parisian streets and soak up the atmosphere. Shopping is outstanding in the city of Paris, with lots of elegant boutiques and department stores selling the latest designer labels often at bargain prices. Read more »
I Love Italian Travel – Carnevale Season In Calabria
Calabria forms the foot of the Italian boot. This region is in the heart of the Mezzogiorno, the south of Italy. Who would expect to find an Albanian Carnival here? Who would expect to find an African Carnevale here? Keep on reading to learn about some of the most distinctive Carnevales in all Europe.
San Demetrio Corone is a village of fewer than four thousand people in Calabria that faces the Apennine Mountains and the Ionian Sea. It was founded over five hundred years ago by Albanians who were fleeing an Ottoman invasion. Despite the centuries the townsfolk have managed to keep their Albanian language and customs while becoming Italians. On the first Saturday of Carnival they celebrate the “Feste dei Morti.” The poor and children go from house by house collecting alms. Then they march to the local cemetery where food and drink is served surrounded by the spotlightson the gravestones. The food known as “Colivi” is made from boiled wheat and was eaten at Paleo-Christian funerals. In the nearby village of Saracena, population about four thousand, named for the Arabs who formerly ruled this part of the world, the Festa di San Leone (Feast of St. Leon) starts with candlelight procession from the church of that name accompanied by music made with traditional musical instruments. Then comes the “Fucarazzi’” (bonfire) at dusk that stays lit all night long while the inhabitants and guests enjoy the ritual food and drink.
Another Albanian Carnevale in Calabria is held in the village of Lungro many of whose three thousand some inhabitants speak a dialect of Albanian. The villagers celebrate Carnevale by parading in traditional Albanian costumes. In northern Calabria, the city of Montalto Uffugo (population about seventeen thousand) holds an interesting parade of men wearing women’s dresses. They hand out sweets and tastes of Pollino wine. Following the parade, the kings and queens arrive for a night of dancing wearing costumes that include giant heads. Actually cross dressing is a popular Calabrian Carnevale theme for both men and women as are the ancient Commedia dell’Arte farces in which Carnival is dying, surrounded by busy but hopelessly ineffectual doctors. The funeral is grotesque and ends with a huge bonfire.
The town of Castrovillari, population well over twenty thousand on the northern border of Calabria, holds its Carnival of Pollino. The women dress in intricate traditional costumes and both the men and women celebrate the Pollino wine of the region, Lacrima di Castrovillari. But there’s more. This Carnevale now includes a children’s carnival and an International Folklore Festival with Jazz concerts and several events devoted to African, Afro-American, and Afro-Brazilian culture. The times they are a’changing.
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Levi Reiss wrote or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, but to tell the truth, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Check out his wine website http://www.theworldwidewine.com with a weekly column reviewing $10 wines and new sections writing about (theory) and tasting (practice) organic and kosher wines.
Posted September 3, 2010 
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